Families are fighting for a play area on a Tyneside estate. Single mum Beverly Henderson has launched a drive to raise #10,000 to help pay for the desperately needed play area on Newcastle's Montagu estate.

The single mum is trying to drum up backing from the thousands of families who live there.

The fight for the play area in Minorca Close comes despite moves to open a #160,000 drop-in centre for young families on Arlington Avenue.

But single mum Beverly, 31, believes more should be done.

She said: "When my children are off there is nothing for them to do and that concerns me.

"I don't want them to be in the house all the time playing computer games and watching the television. It's just not good for them.

"But, you can't really blame them at the moment because there is nothing else for them to do. We have a massive field but there is nothing in it. A couple of posts, but they're no good to anybody.

"What I want is something children of all ages can enjoy. Something for the younger children to play on and something for the older ones to use. And ideally, something for the older generation to use as well."

Miss Henderson, who has two children, Cole, three, and Callum, 11, hopes council officials will support her campaign with funding.

Val Chadwick, Kenton council ward co-ordinator, said: "We are all very much behind Beverley and are very enthusiastic about the project.

"All three councillors for the area are all behind her, though we realise it's a complicated issue.

"If she raises the money it will have to go to consultation and parks are a contentious issue sometimes. There was a park there before but it was burned down.

"We're going to try and get parks and countryside involved from the beginning which will make things much easier in the end.

"There are other initiatives going on in the area but I realise they are not for the age-group Beverley is campaigning for. We will help her as much as possible."

Lindsay Monaghan, 24, another single mum, of Wycliffe Avenue, said: "This would be a Godsend and I'll do anything I can to help.

"There is nowhere to go. If we want a park we have to go to Gosforth and that is quite awkward to get to.

"This is a decent estate and we have nothing. If we can get this ourselves then it will be brilliant."

A spokesman for Newcastle city council said the budget for the city's play areas covered the replacement or improvement of existing play areas. The budget could not stretch to the creation of new parks of play areas.